Heaven gained an angel on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 named Janice (Jan) Eileen Blazek. Jan was born on January 13, 1938 to Francis and Garnette (Johnston) Fineran in Denison, Iowa. They later moved to Owatonna where Jan was a proud graduate of the Class of 1955.

Jan married Emil Blazek on July 28, 1973 and they made their home in Owatonna with a blended family. They enjoyed going to supper clubs, dancing and playing cards with friends and family. Jan loved garage sale-ing, keeping house, closet organizing, flower gardening, and, most importantly, doting on her grandchildren. She was always eager to care for her grandkids and attend every event they were in. She also embroidered and donated hundreds of dish towels to the Owatonna Hospital Auxiliary and baked dozens of bars for Trinity Lutheran Church. Jan's entire family found comfort in knowing she was always there to listen and comfort.

Highlights of Jan's life include her softball and tennis achievements in high school, her bravery in moving to California on her own and her skill in making connections between people and locating long-last classmates for her class reunions. She was a positive role model for 30 years at Truth Hardware where she was always welcoming and became an expert in running and helping engineers troubleshoot issues with a window hardware machine she affectionately named Herman. To know Jan was to love Jan. She epitomized positivity, strength of character and selfless service to others. She radiated light, joy and love with every interaction and never had a bad word. She was gentle, clever, full of puns, old-fashioned like her mother, tolerant and dependable. Family meant everything to her. Her infectious smile, trademark wink, love for "peace and quiet" and uncanny wit is forever etched in our hearts.

She is survived by her twins, Renee Belina (Pete) and Ron Hilgendorf (Melanie) of Owatonna and their children Jake (Kenzie) Belina and Joe Belina, Henry and Anna Hilgendorf; Kari (Jerry) Johnson and their children, Spencer, Dylan, Sophia, Abram, Veronica and Evelyn (Ohio), Dave Hilgendorf (Alabama), Cheri Wellington (Ohio) , Susan Driscoll (Iowa) and their families; "Big brother" Gene Fineran and "little sister" Corrine Ratzloff (Jim) of Owatonna and in-laws, Bob (Joyce) Blazek, Susie Nelson, Pat Knutson, Joann Blazek and their families. She was preceded in death by her husband, Emil, and many other family members: Rick Hilgendorf, Jim Wellington, Dan Driscoll, Angie Fineran, Bob and Dorothy Fischer, Kennie Nelson, Bill Blazek, and Bob Knutson.

Please join the family in celebrating Jan's life on Saturday, July 13, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna with a visitation starting at 12:30 p.m., funeral at 2:30 p.m. and ice cream social immediately following. Guests are encouraged to wear pink, her favorite color. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Trinity Lutheran Church, Community Pathways or donor's choice. A private burial will be held on Monday at Memorial Gardens, Owatonna. Her family wishes to thank the staff at Timberdale Trace and Heartland Hospice for their love and special care of Jan and her loved ones in her final years.